New year, new blog.
This is my ‘official first’ post on in this blog, so welcome. I know all my other posts are up here, I decided to transfer them since I didn’t have the heart to leave them behind, even the more embarrassing ones from two years ago…
So I thought I’d start with a post in theme with new blog, new year. And for me, 2021 is all about cutting down on the online shopping. I am a monster that needs to be stopped. So, in this post I’m putting together a guide for myself to follow to try and stop this addiction.
Since posting about how I am no longer going to shop at Zaful, Romwe and Shein, I haven’t even thought about them. So hopefully if I write about it, this will stick too.
So, here is my guide to NOT shop – which translate to the things that have stopped will continue (hopefully) to stop my addiction, habit, need to shop.
So, if you have been reading my blog for a while or if you know me, then you might know that I have been trying to tackle this problem for a while now and I have found somethings have worked while others haven’t. I have also realised that this problem is not a straight forward one and there are multiple layers to it (by that I mean different outlets that make me want to shop), therefore each one needs to be tackled.
Shop Your Wardrobe
Now, I think this is one of the bigger issues I had and I can now honestly say I have managed to get this under control. My problem was that every time I would make plans, I would need a new outfit. Now this doesn’t sound like that much of a big deal but it was. Not only was I buying new clothes for each new event (even if the event didn’t require a new out; for example going for coffee), I was also buying new clothes when I was bored or to reward myself etc. So that, along with buying clothes for each new event and then finally the global pandemic, I suddenly have too many clothes and no where to wear them because everything was cancelled.
For me now, whenever I make plans I like to think about the clothes I own and decide what to wear from what’s inside there. I think this is good because I still get to look through clothes to find an outfit, but also it means when I’m sitting there and thinking about what I am going to wear, I have it sorted and I’m able to refrain myself from looking on my phone at a shopping app and buying something new.
Boredom
Now, again this is a dangerous one especially during lockdown. Online shopping is one of the things you can still do normally (if that makes sense) and it’s hard not to scroll onto the ASOS app and start looking through it. And I know, there is no harm in window shopping, but for me it is. I will find an item, HAVE to have it, but then I will also have to buy other items to make up the free delivery, and then what makes this even easier is I don’t even have to have money, thanks to platforms like KLARNA it’s a problem for future Sophie.
How to fix this? Well, this is where I struggle the most I think. Firstly, I delete all of the shopping apps on my phone. This stops me from going on them when I’m bored, well sometimes. Sadly it’s not enough for me to go on to the app store and re download them… I think I can handle it, just a scroll, but then it grabs me in, shows me something I need and then before I know it I’ve ordered it in three different sizes, two different colours, an item to go with it and something just to treat myself. This sounds dramatic and I know what you’re thinking, surely you have more self control than that? Just don’t download it. Yes, easier said than done and I am fully aware how passive this behaviour is.
My solution to my lack of self control here is to find other things to distract me. This issue is mostly brought on because I like to occupy myself with something as I watch the TV in the evenings. So instead of turning to the shopping apps when social media becomes dry, I try and find apps that we occupy me more. This is usually a game or something, but I do think that helps. I’m like a toddler, I just need something shiner to look at.
Treating Myself
For some reason, I have this annoying need to ‘treat myself’. For example: If I were to get a good grade in a uni assignment, I would treat myself. I would also treat myself, if I got a bad grade and felt bad about it. See my problem here? I am not saying it’s a bad thing to treat yourself, I am just saying I was using the ‘excuse’ for everything and anything happening in my life.
I don’t really think there is a solution to this, apart from maybe being a little harder on myself. Not everything is worth a treat.
And finally, Ads
These get me every single time and the worst thing is once you click on them, it doesn’t leave you alone. There have been many times an ad has shown up in my Instagram stories, I’ve clicked on it, and it’s taken everything in me to talk myself out of it, only to be reminded again later on. I can’t win.
Once I see something I like, that I need, I get this feeling when I want it, really want it and it doesn’t go away until I buy it. It’s as if, you know when you’re a teenager and you get your first job and you kind of go crazy because you have never really had money before, I feel like that just never went away for me.
How can I stop that? Stay off social media? I mean that doesn’t seem like a reasonable solution considering the world mostly revolves around it. It’s also one of the only ways to keep in contact with people especially during these weird times? When these ads pop up, I do report them as irrelevant to try and stop them from popping up again but they are not stupid, they know what I am doing. They can very clearly say that it’s not irrelevant for me. And maybe that’s why I will never get out of this.
I am really trying, as you can probably see, I am literally trying to type it into existence here. But, hopefully all of these things I am doing will eventually stick.
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